The disclosure of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/335,903, which was filed on Apr. 28, 2022, is hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes as if presented herein in its entirety.
The present disclosure generally relates to cartons for holding beverage containers or other types of articles. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to cartons having corner features that help protect the containers or articles from breakage.
In general, one aspect of the disclosure is directed to a carton for containing plurality of articles. The carton can comprise a plurality of panels that extends at least partially around an interior of the carton. The plurality of panels can comprise a side panel. A plurality of end flaps can be respectively foldably connected to respective panels of the plurality of panels. The plurality of end flaps can at least partially form a closed end of the carton, and the plurality of end flaps can comprise a side end flap. A bevel panel can extend along a corner of the carton so that the side end flap is at least partially connected to the side panel by the bevel panel. The bevel panel can comprise features that are shaped and located at the corner according to geometric aspects of one or more articles of the plurality of articles.
In another aspect, the disclosure is generally directed to a package comprising a carton and a plurality of articles at least partially contained within the carton. The carton can comprise a plurality of panels that extends at least partially around an interior of the carton. The plurality of panels can comprise a side panel. A plurality of end flaps can be respectively foldably connected to respective panels of the plurality of panels. The plurality of end flaps can at least partially form a closed end of the carton, and the plurality of end flaps can comprise a side end flap. A bevel panel can extend along a corner of the carton so that the side end flap is at least partially connected to the side panel by the bevel panel. The bevel panel can comprise features that are shaped and located at the corner according to geometric aspects of one or more articles of the plurality of articles. The one or more articles can be positioned at the corner of the carton.
In another aspect, the disclosure is generally directed to a blank for forming a carton for containing a plurality of articles. The blank can comprise a plurality of panels comprising a side panel and a plurality of end flaps respectively foldably connected to respective panels of the plurality of panels. The plurality of end flaps can be for at least partially forming a closed end of the carton formed from the blank, and the plurality of end flaps can comprise a side end flap. A bevel panel can at least partially connect the side end flap to the side panel. The bevel panel can be for extending along a corner of the carton formed from the blank. The bevel panel can comprise features that are shaped and located in the blank according to geometric aspects of one or more articles of the plurality of articles.
In another aspect, the disclosure is generally directed to a method of forming a carton containing a plurality of articles. The method can comprise obtaining a blank comprising a plurality of panels, a plurality of end flaps respectively foldably connected to respective panels of the plurality of panels, and a bevel panel. The plurality of panels can comprise a side panel, the plurality of end flaps can comprise a side end flap, and the bevel panel can at least partially connect the side end flap to the side panel. The method further can comprise at least partially forming an interior of the carton by positioning the plurality of panels to extend at least partially around the interior and forming an at least partially closed end of the carton by at least partially overlapping the plurality of end flaps. The forming the at least partially closed end of the carton can comprise folding the side end flap relative to the side panel to position the bevel panel along a corner of the carton. The bevel panel can comprise features that are shaped and located in the blank according to geometric aspects of one or more articles of the plurality of articles.
Other aspects, features, and details of the present disclosure can be more completely understood by reference to the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments taken in conjunction with the drawings and from the appended claims.
Those skilled in the art will appreciate the above stated advantages and other advantages and benefits of various additional embodiments reading the following detailed description of the embodiments with reference to the below-listed drawing figures. Further, the various features of the drawings discussed below are not necessarily drawn to scale. Dimensions of various features and elements in the drawings may be expanded or reduced to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the disclosure.
Corresponding parts are designated by corresponding reference numbers throughout the drawings.
The present disclosure generally relates to cartons that contain a single article or a plurality of articles such as containers, bottles, cans, etc., and protection features of such cartons that protect the article or articles or containers from breakage, damage, or deformation. The article(s) can be used for packaging food and beverage products, for example, or any other item. The article(s) can be made from materials suitable in composition for packaging the particular food or beverage item, or other item, and the materials can include, but are not limited to, glass or other breakable material; aluminum and/or other metals; plastics such as PET, LDPE, LLDPE, HDPE, PP, PS, PVC, EVOH, and Nylon; paperboard; and the like, or any combination thereof, or any other suitable material.
Cartons according to the present disclosure can accommodate articles of any shape. For the purpose of illustration and not for the purpose of limiting the scope of the disclosure, the following detailed description describes beverage containers (e.g., glass beverage bottles) as disposed within the carton embodiments. In this specification, the terms “inner,” “outer,” “interior,” “exterior,” “lower,” “bottom,” “upper,” and “top” indicate orientations determined in relation to fully erected and upright cartons. As described herein, constructs can be formed with multiple walls, panels, portions, tabs, flaps, and/or other aspects, which may be designated herein in terms relative to one another, e.g., “first”, “second”, “third”, etc., in sequential or nonsequential reference, without departing from the disclosure.
In one embodiment, the carton 5 may have article protection flaps 13 for protecting the at least one article C, which can be moveable between a first position and a second position placed between adjacent containers C in the carton to reduce movement of the containers in the carton and prevent breakage of the containers. The carton 5 can have other features (e.g., handle, dispenser, etc.) without departing from the disclosure.
The blank 3 has a longitudinal axis L1 and a lateral axis L2. In the embodiment of
The bottom panel 15 is foldably connected to a first bottom end flap 33 and a second bottom end flap 35. The first side panel 17 is foldably connected to a first side end flap 37 and a second side end flap 39. The second side panel 21 is foldably connected to a first side end flap 43 and a second side end flap 45. The top panel 25 is foldably connected to a first top end flap 47 and a second top end flap 49. In embodiments, when the carton 5 is erected, the end flaps 33, 37, 43, 47 close the first end 7 (
The end flaps 33, 37, 43, 47 extend along a first marginal area of the blank 3 and are foldably connected at a first longitudinal fold line 61 that extends along the length of the blank. The end flaps 35, 39, 45, 49 extend along a second marginal area of the blank 3 and are foldably connected at a second longitudinal fold line 63 that also extends along the length of the blank. The longitudinal fold lines 61, 63 may be, for example, substantially straight, or offset at one or more locations to account for blank thickness or for other factors.
In the illustrated embodiment, the side panels 17, 21 can have respective bevel panels 65, 66 at the ends of the side panels 17, 21, along portions of the side end flaps 37, 39, 43, 45 (
In embodiments, the ends of the carton, including the first end 7, are tapered ends, wherein the top panel 25 is shorter than the bottom panel 15 in the lateral direction L2 (e.g., the portions of the fold lines 61, 63 connecting the top end flaps 47, 49 to the top panel 25 are closer to the center of the carton 5 than the portions of the fold lines 61, 63 connecting the bottom end flaps 33, 35 to the bottom panel 15). In exemplary embodiments, the tapered ends allow a tight fit of the containers C in the carton 5. In embodiments, the side end flaps 37, 39, 43, 45 can be angled inwardly at the bevel panels 65, 66 at the tapered ends of the carton 5. The bevel panels 65, 66 and/or the taper of the ends of the carton 5 can help secure the containers C within the carton 5 to help reduce or eliminate movement of the containers C in the carton to reduce or eliminate damage to the containers during handling of the package 6 as described in more detail below. The ends of the carton 5 could be otherwise shaped, arranged, and/or configured (e.g., straight or non-tapered) without departing from the disclosure.
As shown in
In embodiments, the top ends of the bevel fold lines 67, 68 of the bevel panels 65 can intersect or end adjacent one another at or adjacent a respective end of the lateral fold line 27 adjacent or abutting the top panel 25. In the illustrated embodiment, the upper segments 67a, 68a of the bevel panels 65 can meet with the lateral fold line 27 and the portion of the longitudinal fold line 61, 63 extending along the top panel 25 at an upper intersection 72a (e.g., which can correspond to a top corner vertex of the carton when it is formed as shown in
The bevel panels 65, 66 could be omitted or could be otherwise shaped, arranged, configured, and/or positioned without departing from the disclosure. For example, the lower segments 67b of the outer bevel fold lines 67 could be oblique with respect to the side segments 70 of the longitudinal fold lines 61, 63.
In the embodiment of
As shown in
When the handle 81 is actuated for carrying the carton 5, the fold-away tabs 91 can break away from the handle flaps 83 and the top end flaps 47, 49 along the cut lines 91b, 86 and can fold along the oblique fold lines 91a (either inwardly or outwardly) to provide clearance for a container C adjacent the handle 81 in the interior of the carton 5. Any of the handle features could be omitted or could be otherwise shaped, arranged, configured, and/or positioned without departing from the disclosure.
As shown in
In the illustrated embodiment, the blank 3 has features (
In an exemplary embodiment, the blank 3 can be formed into a sleeve (not shown) having open ends (not shown) by folding the bottom panel 15, side panels 17, 21, and top panel 25 along respective fold lines 19, 23, 27, 31. The attachment panel 29 can be adhesively secured to the second side panel 21 by glue or other suitable adhesive (e.g., glue strip G shown in
For example, as shown in
As shown in
As shown in
In the illustrated embodiment, the top corner vertices of the carton (e.g., at the upper intersections 72a, 72b) are offset from the bottom corner vertices 71 of the carton C to cooperate with the bevel panels 65, 66 to help protectively cradle the containers C and reduce or prevent movement of the containers C in the package 6. For example, the bottom corner vertices 71 can be configured to be proximate to (or to be in contact with or adjacent to) the bottom circumference of the respective corner containers C, and the top corner vertices of the carton C can be configured to be proximate to (or to be in contact with or adjacent to) the top circumference of the respective corner containers C (or their caps CP). As discussed above, in the illustrated embodiment, the bottom panel 15 is larger than the top panel 25 (and the bottom corner vertices 71 are offset outwardly from the top corner vertices) because the containers C have narrower tops T and wider bottoms B.
In embodiments, the features of the bevel panels 65, 66 can be located and shaped according to the geometry of the containers C (e.g., according to geometric aspects of the containers C) by identifying a diamond tangential radius TR, a rolling axis RA, and a normal axis NA in relation to the top corner vertices and bottom corner vertices of the carton 5. As shown in
As shown in
With the bevel panels 65, 66 located and arranged in the corners of the package 6 as described, they can improve or optimize the snug fit of the carton 5 around the corner containers C to help protectively cradle and reduce or prevent movement of the containers C in the interior of the carton to help prevent or eliminate damage or breakage of the containers C.
The cartons of any of the illustrated or non-illustrated embodiments of the disclosure could have other features (e.g., dispenser features, handle features, reinforcement features, etc.) without departing from the disclosure. Also, the cartons could be otherwise shaped, arranged, and/or configured and the cartons could be configured to hold articles other than beverage containers C without departing from the disclosure.
Any of the features of the various embodiments of the disclosure can be combined with, replaced by, or otherwise configured with other features of other embodiments of the disclosure without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Further, it is noted that the bevel panels and/or the article protection features of the various embodiments can be incorporated into a carton having any carton style or panel configuration. The carton styles and panel configurations described above are included by way of example.
In general, the blanks of any of the illustrated or non-illustrated embodiments may be constructed from paperboard having a caliper so that it is heavier and more rigid than ordinary paper. The blank can also be constructed of other materials, such as cardboard, or any other material having properties suitable for enabling the carton to function at least generally as described above. The blank can be coated with, for example, a clay coating. The clay coating may then be printed over with product, advertising, and other information or images. The blanks may then be coated with a varnish to protect information printed on the blanks. The blanks may also be coated with, for example, a moisture barrier layer, on either or both sides of the blanks. The blanks can also be laminated to or coated with one or more sheet-like materials at selected panels or panel sections.
As an example, a tear line can include: a slit that extends partially into the material along the desired line of weakness, and/or a series of spaced apart slits that extend partially into and/or completely through the material along the desired line of weakness, or various combinations of these features. As a more specific example, one type of tear line is in the form of a series of spaced apart slits that extend completely through the material, with adjacent slits being spaced apart slightly so that a nick (e.g., a small somewhat bridging-like piece of the material) is defined between the adjacent slits for typically temporarily connecting the material across the tear line. The nicks are broken during tearing along the tear line. The nicks typically are a relatively small percentage of the tear line, and alternatively the nicks can be omitted from or torn in a tear line such that the tear line is a continuous cut line. That is, it is within the scope of the present disclosure for each of the tear lines to be replaced with a continuous slit, or the like. For example, a cut line can be a continuous slit or could be wider than a slit without departing from the present disclosure.
In accordance with the exemplary embodiments, a fold line can be any substantially linear, although not necessarily straight, form of weakening that facilitates folding there along. More specifically, but not for the purpose of narrowing the scope of the present disclosure, fold lines include: a score line, such as lines formed with a blunt scoring knife, or the like, which creates a crushed or depressed portion in the material along the desired line of weakness; a cut that extends partially into a material along the desired line of weakness, and/or a series of cuts that extend partially into and/or completely through the material along the desired line of weakness; and various combinations of these features. In situations where cutting is used to create a fold line, typically the cutting will not be overly extensive in a manner that might cause a reasonable user to incorrectly consider the fold line to be a tear line.
The above embodiments may be described as having one or more panels adhered together by glue during erection of the carton embodiments. The term “glue” is intended to encompass all manner of adhesives commonly used to secure carton panels in place.
The foregoing description of the disclosure illustrates and describes various embodiments. As various changes could be made in the above construction without departing from the scope of the disclosure, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. Furthermore, the scope of the present disclosure covers various modifications, combinations, alterations, etc., of the above-described embodiments. Additionally, the disclosure shows and describes only selected embodiments, but various other combinations, modifications, and environments are within the scope of the disclosure as expressed herein, commensurate with the above teachings, and/or within the skill or knowledge of the relevant art. Furthermore, certain features and characteristics of each embodiment may be selectively interchanged and applied to other illustrated and non-illustrated embodiments of the disclosure.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/335,903, filed on Apr. 28, 2022.
Number | Date | Country | |
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63335903 | Apr 2022 | US |